Automatic louver



Oct. 24, 1950 w PLEDGER 2,526,770

I AUTOMATIC LOUVER Filed Sept. 27, 1947 Z1 5. INVENTOR.

VV/LL/AM A P450551? BY Mm ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC LOUVER William A. Pledger, San Francisco, Calif.

Application September 27, 1947, Serial No...776,447

1. Claim; (Cl. 98-119),

This invention relates to an automatic louver and to its installation in an exhaust pipe.

The object of this invention is to provide a new automatic louver in which the blades are arranged in a staggered inclined row wherein the free end of each blade rests by its weight on the subsequent blade.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for freely connecting the blades for simultaneous closing or opening of the same either by the current of air flowing therethrough or manually.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new installation of said louver in the exhaust pipe so that the exhausted air will preserve its direction of motion after leaving the pipe for some distance and will be dissipated in the atmosphere without settling down.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the particular features of the invention will be specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view of said louver, some parts being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 22 of the Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of an exhaust pipe showing the installation of the louver.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail showing the means interconnecting the blades.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of the Fig. 2.

In detail, my louver I consists of a frame 2 preferably made of metal and representing a metal band bent to form a square. The frame 2 is open on the front and on the back and has the sides 3 and 4. a top 5 and a bottom 6.

The frame 2 has a plurality of blades 8 preferably made of sheet metal and arranged horizontally within said frame in a staggered slightly inclined row. Each blade 8 is attached to a shaft ID by bending the top of said blade over said shaft. The latter are rotatably supported by the sides 3 and 4 by having the ends of each shaft I0 protrude through the holes II in said sides. 'The blades 8 are arranged in said frame 2 at a slight angle to the vertical axis and for that reason the lower end of the blade rests by its weight on the top of the subsequent blade with the exception of the lowermost blade which rests on the bottom 6 of the frame. By this arrangement the louver I remains normally closed and does not admit any current of air exerting pressure on its face side I2,

but the blades are readily opened by aslight cur.- rent moving in theopposite direction in proportion to the air pressure exerted thereupon, and automatically close when the air flow stops.

To insure the opening of all the blades 8 simultaneously, the same are interconnected by a rod I4 extending from the bottom 6 to and through a slot I3 in the top 5 a certain distance and terminating with a loop I 5. The rod I4 is connected to the blades 8 by a plurality of wire loops I6 each of which passes through a hole I! in said rod and through a hole I8 in the lower end of said blade.

If any of the shafts I0 should be deprived of its freedom of rotation in the holes I! for any reason, such as accumulation of dirt, it will be freed by the pressure exerted on said blade by the restof them through said rod I4.

If all the shafts It] should become stuck in their respective holes, they may be freed. by manual operation of said rod I4.

The ends of the shafts I I! are enclosed in channel shaped covers 20 which are riveted to the outer surface of the sides 3 and d. The tops and the bottoms of said covers are closed, as shown at 2| and 22 respectively, to prevent escape of gases and odors from the louver and also to prevent dust and dirt from entering and accumulating in the space between said covers and the sides which may result in freezing the shafts I0 in their holes II.

Means is provided to prevent the escape of gases and odors through the slot I3 in the top 5, said means comprising a plate 25 slidably arranged in the guides 26 riveted to the inner surface of said top, through which plate the rod I4 freely passes.

The louver I is installed in an exhaust pipe 30 a certain distance from the discharge end 3I thereof, said distance being substantially equal to the height of said louver. The exhaust pipe 30, which is round in cross-section. has its portion 32 formed to fit the square frame 2! of the louver, to which it is attached by rivets, or bolts 33. The discharge section 34 of the exhaust pipe. attached to the other end of said louver, is substantially square in cross-section and has its bottom 35 inclined downwardly toward the discharge end 3| and then is turned upwardly a short distance, as shown at 36. A plurality of drip holes 31 is provided in the lowermost portion of the bottom 35.

The bottom 35 is given the above described shape for two purposes: firstly, to drain the water which may collect in the discharge section 34 and permit it to be discharged through the holes 31 provided outside the wall 40 through which said section 34 projects; and, secondly, to divert a portion of the stream of discharged air upwardly by the bottom portion 36, and thereby to neutralize the action of the blades 8 which have a tendency to send the flow of air downwardly by deflecting the air passing therethrough in the latter direction. The shape of the bottom 35 thus forces the air flow to move substantially horizontally and dissipate in the air, thus preventing air from flowing downwardly upon the passing public as is often the case.

I claim:

An automatic louver comprising a substantially rectangular open frame; a plurality of blades ar ranged therein in a staggered inclined row so that the bottom of each preceding blade rests against the top of the succeeding blade; a shaft journalled in the sides of said frame for the support of each blade, said blades being attached to said shafts; each of said shafts having ends protruding through the sides of said frame a certain distance; means for enclosing said shaft ends, a rod extending parallel to the blades and being connected thereto, the top of said rod projecting through a slot in the top of said frame, and a plate covering said slot, said rod passing through said plate and adapted to move said plate over said slot.

WILLIAM A. PLEDGER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 957,776 Ilg May 10, 1910 1,482,398 Ilg Feb. 5, 1924 1,601,100 Baker et a1 Sept. 28, 1926 1,798,041 Sisung Mar. 24, 1931 1,828,016 Andres Oct. 20, 1931 I 1,956,829 Frank May 1, 1934 2,005,615 Ferris June 18, 1935 2,113,896 Moloney Apr. 12, 1938 2,161,471 Hueglin June 6, 1939 2,184,110 Anderson Dec. 19, 1939 2,284,912 Maynard et al June 2, 1942 2,355,412 Bird Aug. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 171,946 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1921 

